Book Review: "A Literal Mess" by J.C. Kenney
Happy New Year, readers!
I wanted to kick things off with my favorite topic: books. My reading resolution is to read sixty books this year and I am already well underway. It’s been a while since I’ve found time to read, with the holidays keeping me busy traveling, but there’s always such simple, pure joy snuggling up with a book. Researchers say reading just 10 minutes a day reduces your stress levels by 60%, so if that doesn’t get you reaching for your bookshelf, then maybe this book recommendation will.
My first official book review of the year is J.C. Kenney’s debut cozy mystery, “A LITERAL MESS.” I enjoyed this series debut so much; it is definitely worthy of a 7 out of 7 crown rating.
An utter delight, "A Literal Mess" is the epitome of a fun, clever mystery.
New York literary agent Allie Cobb returns to her hometown of Rushing Creek, Indiana for her father's funeral. Rarely does a story, let alone a cozy mystery, kick off with such gut-wrenching emotion. This might be the first time this genre has made me tear up! Allie is so heartbroken at missing her chance at saying goodbye to her dying father, a fact that haunts her throughout the entire book and gives her character such depth.
It's always tricky for debut cozies to convincingly sell how a civilian manages to get involved in a police investigation, but author J.C. Kenney does a fine job. Allie's strong-willed, spunky, and dare I say, stubborn personality make her the type of person who doesn't like being told no or underestimated. When her best friend Sloane-an absolutely charming supportive character that I can't wait to learn more about as the series goes on-is under suspicion for the death of a famous author, Allie decides to take matters into her own hands and clear her friend's name. With the help of the police chief, who happens to be Allie's ex-brother-in-law, it's easy to believe that Allie could insert herself into crime solving matters. Her investigation is fun and thorough. She purposefully goes after finding information and doesn't simply stumble into it, like some cozy heroines tend to do.
I want to highlight Allie's cat, Ursula. I love animals, but don't have any myself, so I sometimes think I'm a bit of stickler when I read about over-the-top relationships between pets and their owners. J.C. Kenney hits a home run in "A Literal Mess." Allie's dependence on Ursi rings incredibly true and is not overdone in the least. Sometimes I think cozies have pets in them for the sake of having pets, but Ursi is a real, believable character who is woven expertly into this tale.
Overall, "A Literal Mess" is a wonderful debut novel with a likable, modern heroine. Allie uses her cellphone *gasp* and the Internet to do her research. It's rare to see that in cozies, which tend to still live in the past where technology doesn't seem to exist. J.C. Kenney integrates the 21st century into the traditional cozy mystery genre, and it is so refreshing and fun.
I cannot wait to see what's in store for Allie Cobb, both professionally and romantically!
Available where all eBooks are sold, here is the Amazon link.